Case Studies: Automation, Efficiency & Business Improvement
Explore real examples of how smarter systems, automation, and structured support helped businesses improve efficiency and performance.
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Client Overview
A UK-based accounting firm manually entered weekly ETF ( 35 invoices & credit note per ETF) into Sage, consuming significant time and effort.
The Challenge
● Time-consuming & error-prone: Each ETF took 50 minutes to process.
● VAT complexity: Required accurate handling of zero & standard VAT rates.
● Budget constraints: The firm wasn’t willing to invest in paid digital invoice solutions like Dext, LMB etc
Our Solution
We developed an automated invoice processing system using open-source tools to extract invoice data and convert it into a Sage-compatible Excel format, eliminating manual entry.
Implementation Process
✔ Identified & tested suitable open-source invoice extraction tools.
✔ Created a prototype & tested it on past data for accuracy.
✔ Implemented error controls & VAT validation to ensure compliance.
Results & Impact
★ Time savings: Processing time reduced from 50 mins to 15 mins per ETF.
★ Error reduction: Eliminated human entry mistakes, ensuring accurate VAT application.
★ Efficiency boost: Freed up staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
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Client Overview
An FMCG client sought to evaluate the buying efficiency of feedstock (paper & polymer).
The Challenge
Customs data is published at the HSN level, but various grades and specialized materials get mixed, making accurate comparisons difficult.
Our Solution
Applied descriptive statistical analysis, including Z-Test, to detect outliers and refine data accuracy.
Implementation Process
✔ Identified key data fields within the portal’s download limitations to extract relevant information.
✔ Due to large data volume, calculated fields such as rate per ton and material classification based on descriptions.
✔ Applied Z-Test on rates to identify anomalies and outliers.
✔ Converted CIF prices to DDP for accurate cost comparison.
Results & Impact
★ Processed clean data was visualized in Power BI with interactive filters and an internal glossary.
★ The report is now used to track feedstock benchmarking, ensuring better decision-making.
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Client Overview
● An FMCG company sought to ensure that the prices negotiated by their buying team were competitive.
● They were using cost models agreed upon with supplier partners but wanted an independent validation of their pricing strategy.
The Challenge
● The client operated across multiple countries and needed a structured way to assess price competitiveness.
● A technical-commercial consultant was engaged to develop detailed “should-cost” models for selected products.
● The pricing calculations were complex, requiring granular comparisons with existing costs.
● Identifying gaps in cost efficiency and aligning them with the buying team for action was critical.
Our Solution
● The buying team was focused on forecasting and negotiations, leaving little bandwidth for cost analysis.
● We simplified the communication process, ensuring clear and actionable insights.
Implementation Process
✔ Identified key cost drivers from 15-25 cost elements.
✔ Focused resources on obtaining accurate cost breakdowns for comparison.
✔ Pinpointed major cost discrepancies and collaborated with buyers to align on the causes and corrective actions.
Results & Impact
★ The buying team gained clarity on cost gaps and agreed on an action plan.
★ Strategic sourcing decisions were made to improve procurement efficiency.
★ A tracking system was implemented to monitor commodity indices, preventing suppliers from inflating prices due to market volatility.
★ Buying inefficiencies were eliminated, ensuring vendors adhered to fair pricing mechanisms.
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Client Overview
● A UK-based accounting firm was struggling with maintaining high-quality work and team reliability.
● These challenges were affecting client retention and overall business growth.
The Challenge
● Ensuring consistent, error-free work was a hurdle.
● Errors led to client dissatisfaction and trust issues, impacting long-term relationships.
Our Solution
● Launched Project OTIS, an internal initiative aimed at bringing errors down to zero.
● Focused on error detection, prevention, and continuous improvement.
Implementation Process
✔ Strengthened existing quality control processes to minimize human errors.
✔ Added series of automated quality check prompts.
✔ Encouraged team members to actively spot errors and adhere to control checks.
✔ Implemented a structured Error Classification System (Low to Critical errors).
✔ Tracked and reported both internally spotted errors (during review) and externally reported errors (by clients).
✔ Tied KPIs and incentives to producing zero-error work.
✔ Conducted regular training sessions to reinforce accountability and attention to detail.
✔ Established a company-wide culture of precision and quality under Project OTIS.
Results & Impact
★ Monthly error reports were shared with clients to ensure transparency and collaborative improvement.
★ Strengthened client trust by demonstrating a data-driven approach to error reduction.
★ Created a culture of accountability and continuous learning, improving overall team performance.
★ Achieved significant reductions in errors, leading to higher client satisfaction and retention.
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Client Overview
A UK-based accounting firm using Sage software for financial management.
The Challenge
● The firm needed to produce quarterly MIS reports alongside VAT filing.
● Sage’s interface was not user-friendly, making report generation a manual and time-consuming process.
Our Solution
● Created custom reports and patches in Sage for faster report generation.
Implementation Process
✔ Modified default report formats to make Sage reports more user-friendly.
✔ Developed custom reporting formats using VBA to streamline data processing.
✔ Implemented controls to ensure accuracy and eliminate reporting errors.
✔ Used advanced Excel and VBA automation to convert raw data into insightful reports.
Results & Impact
★ MIS reports were generated simultaneously with VAT submissions.
★ Improved accuracy and efficiency, reducing manual effort.
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Client Overview
A UK-based accounting firm’s Director wanted a way to assess bookkeeping quality without manually reviewing all records.
The Challenge
● Bookkeeping is tedious and repetitive, requiring a balance between accuracy and efficiency.
● The challenge was to capture all financial documents while ensuring error-free recording.
● The firm aimed to reduce manual review efforts by using banking rules and automation.
● There was no simple, high-level report to provide a quick quality overview.
Our Solution
Integrated an external tool to measure bookkeeping quality at a glance.
Implementation Process
✔ Strengthened internal controls and quarterly VAT review processes.
✔ Identified the need for a one-page report to give top management a clear snapshot of bookkeeping quality.
✔ Implemented Xenon Connect, a tool that provides an overall bookkeeping quality score.
✔ Used score trends to monitor improvements or inconsistencies in bookkeeping standards.
Results & Impact
★ During monthly review calls, Xenon Connect scores provided insights into bookkeeping quality.
★ Allowed top management to assess performance quickly without deep manual reviews.
★ Helped identify areas for improvement, ensuring continuous enhancement of bookkeeping accuracy.
★ Though not a perfect measure, the tool provided clear direction on quality trends.
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Client Overview
● An FMCG client had a significant portion of raw materials linked to commodity pricing (Commodity A).
● Vendor revised prices quarterly, making index benchmarking essential to track pricing trends.
The Challenge
● Readily available indices were based on Commodity B (a base material).
● The company used Commodity A, which had the same base but included premium material costs, leading to different pricing.
● A direct comparison was not feasible, requiring a custom benchmarking approach.
Our Solution
Developed a custom index for Commodity A using the base material index (Commodity B).
Implementation Process
✔ Analyzed historical price data of Commodity A against the base index (Commodity B).
✔ Applied regression analysis to establish a statistical relationship between both commodities.
✔ Derived a custom pricing index for Commodity A, allowing accurate benchmarking.
Results & Impact
★ Every time the base index (Commodity B) was updated, the custom Commodity A index was generated.
★ This enabled precise tracking of price movements for Commodity A.
★ The benchmark was used in vendor negotiations, ensuring transparent and data-driven pricing decisions.
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Client Overview
A UK-based growing accounting firm wanted to retain high-value clients while addressing profitability issues with clients having inefficient internal processes.
The Challenge
● The Director had an intuitive understanding of which clients were profitable and which were causing losses.
● However, there was no structured system to quantify inefficiencies or measure profitability gaps.
Our Solution
● Tracked time spent on each client to identify those consuming excessive resources.
● Attempted to optimize processes first—if improvements weren’t feasible, recommended price revisions.
Implementation Process
✔ The firm already captured time data for all work done.
✔ After one year of data collection, they had clear insights into which clients were inefficient.
✔ Discussions were initiated with these clients, proposing either process/software changes or price adjustments.
Results & Impact
★ The firm was able to identify unprofitable clients and make data-driven decisions on whether to retain or churn them.
★ Inefficiencies were either eliminated through process improvements or addressed through pricing revisions.
★ Helped the firm focus on high-value, sustainable client relationships.
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